Remember the Facebook hack last week that compromised at least 50m accounts? It’s worse than you think.

Last Friday, the social media company revealed a vulnerability that allowed attackers to steal automated log-in credentials (or “tokens”).

The tokens make it easier for people to log into popular apps and services like Spotify, Pinterest or Yelp. The flaw, which has been present since July 2017, was discovered last month after Facebook engineers noticed unusual login activity.

While the scope of that attack is still being discovered, independent researchers say the damage could extend far beyond Facebook’s borders.

Jason Polakis, an assistant professor of computer science at the University of Illinois at Chicago, recently co-authored a paper on vulnerabilities in Single Sign-On (SSO) systems, similar to the one used by Facebook.

Polakis says the token breach affects far more than Facebook – it’s a potential backdoor to thousands of third-party apps and websites.

Odds are, you may have a lot of apps to clean up – after you delete the old FB account.

In the days of old Congress used to pass annual budgets. This process generally started with a recommendation from the President. Next the proposed budget passed through the House, then the Senate. Finally, if he agreed with it, the President signed off on it.

That was then. Today, for more than a few years now, different appropriations have been cobbled together for this and that, rather than passed as a whole. Technically, this is permissible under Article I, Section 7 of the old Constitution. It’s my quibble that the old way was better, smoother. At any rate, at least it’s done. Until it’s not.

Last Friday/Saturday at midnight the Congress failed to agree on the latest stopgap spending bill. As such, “your” government has no budget for the coming fiscal year – running on empty.

A House-passed stopgap bill that would avoid a government shutdown fizzled out in the Senate late Friday night, leaving Congress negotiating frantically as the midnight deadline to fund the government passed.

The measure failed in a procedural vote by a 50 to 49 margin. Five Democrats — Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Doug Jones of Alabama and Claire McCaskill of Missouri — had backed it. Four Republicans — Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Jeff Flake of Arizona, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah — opposed it. So did Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for procedural reasons.

As nearly all Democrats and some Republicans opposed the measure that failed to work its way through Congress on Friday, lawmakers saw government funding lapse, at least temporarily. The proposal that failed in the Senate would have funded the government through Feb. 16 and reauthorized the popular Children’s Health Insurance Program for six years.

As far as I’m concerned, they could permanently shutter the whole operation forever. Fear not, they won’t. In fact, much (most?) of the government will operate pretty much as “normal” for the duration. Most people will notice no difference. I’m releasing a video for FP tomorrow about this and a few related matters. Watch it.

This last happened in 2013. Before that, it was a more pronounced shortage in 1995. We somehow survived those episodes. The sky will not fall. For now, just know that “your” elected representatives are a band of utterly incompetent fools. You should remember this come the next election. You probably won’t though I’ll drop a reminder.

“Your” government is officially far past the point where it could be possibly reigned in. Next year must hold in store an election. I keep hearing and reading that the Republicans and Democrats are preparing their usual assortment of tired psychopaths from which the little people are to select their future “leadership.” It could be that I have stepped through a worm hole to the past because I keep hearing names like Bush and Clinton.

As George Carlin used to say, “this is the best we can do.” It will never get better. Incredibly, it gets worse every four years. I gave up on voting and political participation a long time ago. I stand by my statement that the last, best chance we had to save the Republic was to elect Ron Paul President in 2008. We missed it. Today, I lead a happy life of personal anarchy. My only involvement with the government is paying taxes and evading the traffic cops. It works well. The sheep still don’t see it.

You may have seen or read about the increasing militarization of government forces – the blurring of lines between domestic police and the standing martial army. I wrote about it previously.

(USA! USA! Google.)

Speaking of blurred lines, I, being a recovering attorney, am THE expert on the Posse Comitatus Act (PCA). The PCA was put into place many, many years ago to halt the use of military forces from providing ordinary law enforcement within the territorial confines of the U.S. It has not worked.

Law after law and action after action have provided a myriad of exemptions to the PCA. Drugs, terror, riots, training – you name it. The PCA is moot.

So it is today that most highly trained, deadliest and most feared elements of our armed forces – the special forces – are on the streets training with local police agencies. It’s like Barney Fife meeting the Seals in Mayberry. Otis better watch out.

The purpose of elite military forces is to carry out daring missions ABROAD (not at home) in order to disrupt enemy activities with minimal effort or notice. They are the last force one should want operating amidst the people at home. This too is lost on the MTV-watching public.

The people are afraid of everything. Should the government announce pillow cases are tools of terrorism, the people will dutifully burn pillow cases in the town square. The fools will demand and cheer as the government bombs pillow factories in places like Libya and Iraq. Imaginary specters are fought with ferocity and pomp.

Meanwhile, real threats go virtually unnoticed. Recently, the same week that saw the U.S. military engage in various live terror trainings in the Southwest (against fictitious enemies) saw real terrorists attack a cartoon convention in Texas. Thankfully, for us, the sane, Texas is not Paris. In the Lone Star State, muslin extremist face summary execution from even lone police officers. Don’t mess with Texas. But, no-one else has drawn the corollary (or disconnect) here. The vaunted military trains for an attack the police can’t handle at the same time the police handle an attack the military can’t. So it goes.

The sheep graze on. Fox News, radio talkers and modern “churches” have instilled in the ignorant people a sense of worship for all things military, all things government – so long as it’s the American military and government. When two groups of drunks meet at the beach, and fight, the sympathy of the nation goes to that group of martial disposition. No mind is given to reality.

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has just tried to put the brakes on the monstrosity known as the USA Patriot Act. The Act was intended to grant additional unchecked power to the central government. Some in the Judiciary have noted this and its underlying illegality. It does not matter, as Ron Paul notes. The Bush/Clinton/Bush/Obama/Bush/Clinton/Etc. executive is above the law and will refuse to abide by any Court ruling which limits their authority. The Courts, truly least of the three branches, are powerless to enforce their rulings. The Congress, fat, bribed and stoned into complacency, will do nothing. The sheep graze.

So, pontificate as you will about the coming election. I may listen but I won’t respond. I’m not rude, it’s just that I don’t believe in fairy tales no matter how entertaining. Next November, you go out and waste your time and energy, saving us from the other side. Afterwards, you may find me at the local bar or cigar shop doing what I do. Or, you could just join me in freedom land. Your choice.